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Tom Majewski
11-01-2006, 2:01 PM
Wonder if anyone has any leads.

I need to make some custom car gauge faceplates - Tachometer, oil pressure, ect. I'm looking for a plastic that is opaque on top and translucent underneath. Here's a sample of what I'm trying to do.

Preferably a black/red or a white/blue. The best laserbits could tell me over the phone was their marbled plastic, which wont do.

Thanks,
Tom

Wil Lambert
11-01-2006, 2:48 PM
Tom

I know Rowmark makes some plastics just like you want. I think this is what you are looking for http://www.rowmark.com/laser/Colorcast/Colorcast.asp

If it is not contact them directly they will help find what you need.

Wil

Mike Null
11-01-2006, 3:01 PM
I would recommend Rowmark or IPI reverse engravable black. This would be about .060". You engrave the back (painted surface) which will give you a frosted area which you can color fill or use a colored transparent covering.

Joe Pelonio
11-01-2006, 3:23 PM
I've done some of those, and they wanted different areas to light up in different colors. What we did was paint clear acrylic on one side with black Krylon Fusion (would be the back side) basically creating our own version of the Rowmark material. Then engraved the numbers etc. in reverse thru the paint. Last glued on pieces of theatrical gel sheets, which is a dyed translucent polyester film. We could have used translucent vinyl as we use for backlit signs, but they wanted specific colors that I could only match with gels.

Tom Majewski
11-01-2006, 4:13 PM
Thanks for the tips guys. I ordered some romark to try.

Hey Joe, I thought of painting clear plexi, but was worried the about burning the paint pigment into the plastic. I'll give it a try.

Tom

Joe Pelonio
11-01-2006, 4:43 PM
Thanks for the tips guys. I ordered some romark to try.

Hey Joe, I thought of painting clear plexi, but was worried the about burning the paint pigment into the plastic. I'll give it a try.

Tom
I do it all the time, it requires very little power to engrave off the paint and it doesn't burn in.